The Great And The Good: Hemming's Way
by Ognawk
Summary: Prequel story to 'The Great And The Good'. Cassidy Hemming is a petite, bespectacled teenage girl who attends Fielding Preparatory Academy. While having a seemingly sweet nature, she had severe abandonment issues and occasionally lacks self control. This story tells how these issues developed, and details the early days of her infatuation with Tom Sloane.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:** Daria and all associated materials are owned by MTV. This is for entertainment purposes only and no money or other goods have been exchanged for this. All original characters were created by me. I politely ask that you check with me first if you wish to use my characters in your own work. Thank you._

* * *

**THE GREAT AND THE GOOD: HEMMING'S WAY**  
**By Ognawk**

_**Part 1**_

It was a sunny day in downtown Baltimore. A new black Mercedes pulled up outside the law offices of Davidson, Fisher, Carter & Hemming, and out stepped the owner of the vehicle, Christopher Hemming III. He was a man of average height and build, with short black hair and a neatly trimed moustache and oval rimmed glasses. He was dressed in a smart Bourdais business suit, and carried his trusty black briefcase with him. He'd founded the firm with three of his friends from his time at the prestigious Crestmore College, and they'd earned a very enviable reputation in the relatively short time they'd been existence.

Christopher walked through the front doors and gave a nod to the receptionist on his way in. He made his way to his office and closed the door, sighing with relief as he did so. It had been a hard day, but a successful one. He went and placed his briefcase on his desk before sitting down. He relaxed for a minute as he looked with a smile at the framed photograph on his desk. The image was from his wedding. There he was, looking dapper in a tuxedo, and next to him in a long, flowing white dress, his beautiful wife Melissa. They'd been married for over three years now. They'd met in high school and been friends for a while, but it wasn't until their last year at Crestmore that he'd had the courage to ask her out, and it was the best decision he'd ever made. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his secretary through the intercom.

"Hello, Mr. Hemming, there's a call waiting for you," she said.

Christopher pressed the button on the intercom. "Thank you, Clarice. Put it through please."

The phone rang a few seconds later and Christopher picked up.

"Hello, Christopher Hemming speaking."

"Christopher, my old friend, how are you doing?"

Christopher smiled at the familiar voice. "Angier Sloane, what an unexpected surprise. I sincerely hope this is a personal call and that you haven't gotten into some sort of trouble that you need me to bail you out of."

Christopher and Angier were friends from back in their time as students at Fielding Preparatory Academy. They'd gone in different directions, with Angier going to Bromwell while Christopher went to Crestmore, but they'd stayed in touch with each other.

"It depends how you define trouble," Angier replied.

"This I have to hear," Christopher said with a chuckle.

"In all seriousness, though, I'm calling to announce to you the birth of Thomas Frederick Sloane. Came through at 9.37am, Mother and baby are doing well."

"Congratulations! I imagine Kay must be relieved it's over."

"I think so. She's been somewhat cranky these last few weeks."

"Well, if we had to carry a bowling ball around in our bellies for weeks, we'd be pretty crotchety ourselves."

Angier laughed. "Yes, I imagine we would be. Speaking of kids, how's Melissa coming along?"

"Everything seems to be going pretty well so far. She's six months along now. As long as I keep the place stocked with beets and white chocolate, I think it'll be fine."

"Any idea whether it's a boy or girl yet?"

"We're waiting until the day to find out," Christopher explained.

"Ah, I see. A bit of mystery," Angier said with a smile, "Thought about names?"

"Well, if it's a boy, we're likely going with Christopher IV. If it's a girl, it'll be Cassidy."

"Excellent. Well, I must be going. Kay will be wondering where I am. Speak to you soon, Christopher."

* * *

Melissa was in the delivery room at Cedars of Lawndale, Christopher at her side, holding her hand. Melissa was screaming as she tried to push.

"Come on, Melissa, we're almost there," the doctor said.

"I hope so," Melissa replied.

"One more push, and we're there," the doctor said.

With one final push, Melissa was finally done as Christopher stroked her hand and kissed her on the forehead.

"Excellent, we're done," the doctor said as they took the baby away to clean it.

"Thank you for being here, honey," Melissa said as she slumped back, exhausted.

"Benefit of being a partner in the firm," Christopher replied with a smile, "There's no way I wouldn't be here."

The doctor returned and handed Melissa the baby. "Congratulations, Melissa, it's a girl."

Melissa cradled the little girl in her arms as both her and Christopher gazed upon their tiny new daughter squirming around, her bright green eyes looking around.

"Hello Cassidy," Melissa said, an exhausted but satisfied smile on her face.

As Christopher leaned in, Cassidy grabbed one of his fingers and giggled.

"She's beautiful, just like her mother," Christopher said as he put his arm around his wife.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Part 2**_

"But I don't wanna wear glasses!"

5 year old Cassidy sat in a chair in the kitchen, arms folded and looked annoyed. Her mother Melissa sighed as she brushed her daughter's short, red hair.

"Honey, the teachers have said you're squinting at the blackboard and can't see it properly. We're going to have to get your eyes tested," Melissa said, "We can't allow you to fall behind."

"But there's a girl in school who people liked, then she got glasses and everyone started being mean to her," Cassidy protested, "I don't want them to pick on me."

Her father, Christopher, crouched down in front of her and held her hand.

"Listen, sweetie. I know you're nervous about it, but if you get glasses, you'll be able to see things better," he said to try and reassure her, "Don't you want to see things better?"

"Yes," Cassidy replied, still a little unhappy.

"Besides, I'm sure not everyone will be mean to you. You're a nice girl, and I'm sure somebody will stand up for you if any of those kids pick on you."

Melissa finished brushing Cassidy's hair and she smiled and hopped off the chair.

"Thank you Daddy," she said giving him a hug as Melissa watched and smiled.

* * *

Once the eye test had been completed, Melissa was helping Cassidy choose some frames. She tried a few on but frowned at the look of them all.

"I don't like glasses," Cassidy said, as Melissa put another set of frames back.

"I know you don't, but the Doctor says you need them, so you'll have to have them, Cassidy," Melissa replied, picking up a pair of oval rimmed frames and putting them on her daughter's face.

She led Cassidy back to the mirror and she looked at them, adjusting them slightly to make them straight. Cassidy stared at her reflection for a moment, and a smile came on her face.

"I like these ones, Mommy!" she said, beaming.

Melissa took them off her and looked at the price. _They're expensive, but I guess it's a price worth paying if she likes them._

"OK, honey, do you want these?" Melissa asked.

"Yes please!" Cassidy replied as they made their way to the counter.

* * *

Fielding Preparatory Academy was a private school hidden away in the Lawndale grasslands that had been around for centuries. The classic, well maintained red brick veneer contained some slightly more modern looking, relatively narrow whitewashed corridors, giving the place a somewhat clinical look, while some of the paint was slightly flaking, showing the age of the work that had been done.

Cassidy was a legacy at Fielding, with both her mother and father both alumni of the school. She'd been told stories of how they first met in the Mountford Hall building, when Melissa was looking for people to try out for the Freshman debate team. Christopher signed up and made the team, and he and Melissa became friends very quickly. Both of them ended up going to Crestmore for college, where he decided her out.

"It was the best decision I ever made," Christopher had told Cassidy.

Cassidy was walking down the hall towards her classroom, carrying her books in her arms. She passed a few students, and made an effort to smile at the older ones as a sign of politeness, even though she didn't register on their radar.

As she rounded the corner into a quiet corridor, she noticed one of the boys from her year, a black haired boy named Graham, stood by the wall, grinning as he saw her. She looked at him curiously and turned her attention back to where she was going. Without her noticing, Graham had stuck his foot out and she tripped over it, falling to floor and dropping her books.

"Ha ha! You didn't see that with your glasses!" Graham said, kicking her books away as she tried to grab at them.

"Stop it!" she shouted, but he just laughed.

"Leave her alone!" cried a nearby voice.

Both Cassidy and Graham looked up to see a small blonde haired boy, probably about their age, walking up to them.

"Butt out, Daniel!" Graham said as the boy got nearer.

"No! Stop picking on the girls, you bully!" Daniel responded as Cassidy watched the exchange.

A grin then came over Graham's face. "OK Daniel, I'll leave your little girlfriend alone, this time," he said, before walking away.

Daniel sighed and then walked around, helping Cassidy pick up her books and handing them to her.

"Thank you, Daniel?" she said with a smile, trying to make sure she got his name right.

"Yep, that's my name. Sorry about him. He's a mean boy," Daniel responded.

"Yeah. I'm Cassidy. I'm going to be late to class. I need to go," Cassidy said, "Thanks again, Daniel!"

"Me too. See you later, Cassidy," Daniel said as he walked away.

Cassidy watched him walk away for a moment with a smile before making her own way to class.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Part 3**_

Cassidy was in a very good mood today. Despite the teasing she received over her glasses, which did get to her a little, she felt like she'd made a friend in Daniel. He backed her up if someone was being horrible to her, and she was glad for that.

Once the first classes of the day were finished, she made her way to one of the benches outside where she and Daniel usually met. As she looked off to the doors where he usually came out, she didn't notice another girl approach from behind her, grabbing her glasses and taking them off her.

"Hey!" Cassidy shouted, turning around to see who'd taken them.

The girl was from her year, a tallish brown haired, green eyed girl called Elaine Swinton, the daughter of a local media mogul. She smirked as she held Cassidy's glasses in her hand.

"Missing something?" she asked.

"Gimme them back!" Cassidy said, getting up and going over to Elaine.

"Come and take them," Elaine said, holding the glasses high in the air as Cassidy jumped up and tried to get them.

"I want my glasses back!" Cassidy shouted, her small height making it impossible for her to quite reach her glasses.

"They're right here! All you have to do is take them," Elaine said, laughing at Cassidy in the process.

Cassidy jumped a couple more times before giving up and started to get upset, holding back tears.

"Aww, little Cassidy gonna cry?" Elaine said, taunting her.

Cassidy was trying not to cry and stepped back from Elaine a little. As she looked at Elaine messing with her glasses, another feeling came over her. She started breathing heavily and then screamed and ran at Elaine, tacking her down to the ground and landing on top of her. She then proceeded to hit Elaine's arms repeatedly.

"GIVE ME MY GLASSES BACK!" she screamed as she continued attacking Elaine.

"Ow! Owww! Stop it! Help me!" Elaine shouted

The shouting and screaming attracted the attention of one of the teachers in a nearby classroom, who ran out and over to the fighting girls.

"Stop it! Stop it right now!" he said, pulling Cassidy off Elaine as she thrashed around and Elaine scrambled up to her feet, "What on earth is going on here?"

"She stole my glasses! She won't give them back!" Cassidy said, breathing heavily as she tried to calm down.

"You, give her the glasses back," the teacher said, motioning to Elaine.

Elaine stepped back, holding on to the glasses and looking slightly scared of Cassidy.

"Now!" the teacher commanded, holding his hand out. Elaine reluctantly gave him the glasses, "Now get out of here, and don't let me catch you doing anything like that again."

"Yes sir," Elaine said, making good her exit.

"Are you OK?" the teacher asked Cassidy, handing her back her glasses.

"Yes, thank you sir," Cassidy responded, putting her glasses back on.

"Good. Now, what's your name, young lady?" he asked.

"Cassidy. Cassidy Hemming, sir," she replied.

"Ms Hemming, attacking other students is not how we behave ourselves at Fielding. Do you understand, young lady?"

Cassidy nodded sheepishly.

"Good. Now, I'm going to have to report this to the Principal, and you will have to go to his office after school. Now, Cassidy, on your way."

"Yes, sir. Sorry sir," Cassidy replied as she quickly walked away.

* * *

After school, Cassidy was sat in the secretary's office outside the Principal's office. The room was somewhat old fashioned, yet clean, with wooden walls and paintings adorning them. The secretary was a slim, elderly looking woman with large glasses and a blouse that looked like something out of the 60s.

Cassidy was focussing on one of the paintings when the secretary picked up the phone on her desk.

"Yes? OK, I'll send her in now."

She put the phone back down and turned her attention to Cassidy.

"The Principal will see you now, Cassidy," she said.

Cassidy nodded and made her way into the Principal's office. It was very much like the secretary's office, just slightly larger with a much bigger desk. The Principal beckoned her over as she sat on the other side of the desk.

The current Principal of Fielding was a man named Phillipe Marceau, a 50-something man with short, black and grey hair and a clean shaven face, wearing a fitted, top of the line Bourdais suit. He was born in France, and had lived in America for the last 30 or so years. His voice still retained a French accent that, while not thick, was enough to be noticeable.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Hemming," he said, as he pulled some papers out of a draw in his desk.

"Good afternoon, sir," she replied, keeping her eyes fixed on him at all times.

Phillipe looked through his files. "Your parents went to Fielding, didn't they?"

"Yes sir."

"Now, I understand that you attacked a girl who stole your glasses. Elaine Swinton, wasn't it?"

"Yes sir."

"Thank you. Now, before we continue, I should let you know that she will be punished for her actions as well. We do not tolerate stealing and bullying at this institution."

Cassidy nodded and continued looking him right in the eye.

"However, Ms. Hemming, violence is never the solution to a problem. That kind of behaviour might be accepted at public schools, but it is not tolerated here. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir, sorry sir," she responded.

"Very well," Phillipe said, filling out some details on one of the sheets before folding it and putting in an envelope, writing her parents names on it and handing it to her, "You will be suspended from Fielding for one week starting on Monday. This is a letter for your parents. A copy will be sent in the mail as well. Do you have any questions?"

"No sir," she replied.

"Excellent," he said, smiling, "You're free to go."

"Thank you," Cassidy said, quickly and quietly leaving the room.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Part 4**_

Cassidy sat on her own at a table in the lunchroom. Her week of suspension had been pretty dull, having been forced to stay with one of her Mother's friends for most of the week. As she bit into her sandwich the familiar and unwelcome figure of Elaine sat at the table opposite her.

"I don't want to talk to you," Cassidy said, glaring at Elaine.

"I want to talk to you, though," Elaine replied, "You know, my Daddy wanted to call the police for what you did to me."

"Did you tell him you tried to steal my glasses?"

Elaine snorted. "You hit me. Only bad people hit others."

Cassidy just shook her head and went back to her lunch.

"So, where's your little friend?" Elaine asked.

"I don't know," Cassidy replied.

"Maybe he's not your friend anymore," Elaine said, "Maybe he doesn't want to be hit by mean girls like you."

Cassidy glared at Elaine. "Daniel's my friend. He's a nice boy. I like him."

"If you say so," Elaine said, leaving the table before Cassidy could say another word.

* * *

A few days later, Cassidy hadn't seen Daniel at all, and was getting worried. She looked around the classroom where he normally had most of his lessons and he was nowhere to be seen. She made her way to one of the side exit doors to find Graham standing in the way.

"Hey, where's your little boyfriend, speccy?" he asked, smirking.

"I'm not talking to you," Cassidy replied, trying to get to the door as he put his arm across it.

"I heard you're a fighter and that you beat up Elaine," he said.

Cassidy frowned. "I hit her because she took my glasses. Get out of the way, I wanna go," she said, ducking under his arm and leaving him behind.

* * *

Melissa was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen while Cassidy was drawing at the table, drawing what looked like two people, one a girl with red hair and one a boy with yellow hair. She heard a key at the front door and ran towards it with her picture as Christopher opened the door and stepped inside.

"Daddy!" she said as he scooped her up with his free arm and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey there, princess. Are you OK?" he asked.

"Yes, Daddy!"

"It'll be your birthday soon. Are you excited?"

"Yeah!"

"OK, well why don't you go and get ready for dinner? I'm sure Mommy will have it ready soon."

Cassidy ran upstairs as Christopher walked into the kitchen and kissed Melissa.

"Hi, honey, how are you?" he asked.

"Oh, fine. Another busy day trying to organise the latest art fair. I've gotten even busier now."

"How so?" Christopher asked, putting his briefcase in the cupboard under the stairs.

"You remember I was telling you about the Wilsons going through problems?" Melissa said.

"Oh yeah, I remember that."

"Well, Felicity moved out and took young Daniel with her," she explained, "It's a horrible shame, really."

"So you're left organising it yourself, then?" Christopher asked.

"Well, yes, but it's insignificant when you consider what's going on between those two right now. Terrible shame."

"Hasn't Cassidy mentioned a boy named Daniel before?" Christopher asked as he returned to the kitchen.

"I think so. Why?"

Cassidy then darted down the stairs and into the kitchen, showing her picture to Christopher.

"Look what I made!"

"That's lovely, sweetie. Is that you?" he asked.

"Yes. And that's my friend Daniel."

"That's not Daniel Wilson, by any chance, is it?"

Cassidy looked confused. "Yes. I haven't seen him since I went back to school, though. Maybe he's sick."

"Oh. I'm afraid I've got some bad news about him," Melissa said.

Cassidy looked at her, slightly concerned. "Is he OK?"

"Oh, he's fine. But he and his Mommy have moved away to a new town."

Cassidy started to look unhappy. "He never said he was going. When is he coming back?"

Christopher put his arm around her. "I don't think he will be coming back, Cassidy. I'm sorry."

"But... but he was my friend!" Cassidy said as she hugged her father and he hugged her back.

"You'll find another friend, sweetie."

_**To Be Continued...**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_Part 5_**

Christopher was stood in the offices of one of the associates at work, looking through some paperwork that had been prepared for an upcoming case.

"We've really got a lot of stuff here, David," Christopher said, reading through a sheet, "I'd say we've got a pretty good chance of nailing this one."

"Yeah, I had a good feeling about it," David replied, adjusting his glasses, "I think this is the biggest case I've ever worked on."

"Excellent," Christopher said, handing David the papers, "Well, we've got a long day ahead tomorrow. You should go home for the night and relax. Get yourself rested up."

"Thanks, Christopher, see you tomorrow," David said.

"Tomorrow," Christopher replied as he left David's office and went back to his own. He sat down and read through a memo on his desk before looking at the photo of his family. Suddenly, he realised something and quickly picked up the phone and dialled a number.

"_Hello, you've reached the Hemming residence,"_ the answer machine said, "_We're not available right now, but please leave a message after the tone and we'll get back to you as soon as possible_."

"Hello, Melissa, it's me. Listen, I'm going to be running a little late tonight. I've got to make a trip to the bank on my way home from work. And Cassidy, happy birthday, honey. 8 years old. You're a big girl now. Anyway, see you both when I get back. Love you."

Christopher put the phone down and took a deep breath. He quickly checked his desk was in order and picked up his things before leaving the office.

* * *

Cassidy was sat at the kitchen table in the house, finishing off her homework, still dressed in her school uniform. Melissa walked into the kitchen from the lounge and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Mom," Cassidy said, not looking up from her homework, "Where's Daddy?"

"He'll be here soon, sweetie," Melissa replied, taking a sip of her coffee, "He's just running a bit late from the office, that's all."

_What's taking him so long_, Melissa thought as she looked out of the window.

"Are we going out tonight?" Cassidy asked.

"Once your father gets home, yes," Melissa replied, "Sorry about your friends not being able to go."

"They haven't talked to me much lately," Cassidy said, as she put her pen down and walked over to Melissa, handing her the paper, "My homework is finished."

Melissa had a skim read through it and handed it back to Cassidy with a smile. "Very good, sweetie. Now go upstairs and get changed out of your uniform. You need to be ready for when your father gets home."

"OK," Cassidy said with a smile as she took her homework and quickly went back upstairs.

Melissa took her coffee and went to the phone. She picked it up and dialled a number and, after a couple of rings, someone picked up.

"Hello, Davidson, Carter, Fisher and Hemming. This is Clarice speaking, what can I help you with?"

"Hello Clarice, it's Melissa. Is Christopher at the office?" Melissa asked.

"Sorry, Melissa. He left a couple of hours ago. He mentioned something about stopping off at the bank on the way," Clarice replied.

"OK. Thank you, Clarice," Melissa said before putting the phone down.

She sighed and made her way into the lounge, turning on the television as the adverts were playing. She walked over to the window and looked out onto the driveway, looking for any sign of Christopher's car appearing. The news started next on the television.

"_Broadcasting live from Baltimore across all of Maryland, this is the Maryland evening news. Tonight's top story, tragedy has struck in Baltimore. A shooting has occurred in the Baltimore Central Bank in the last hour..."_

That news suddenly grabbed Melissa's attention as she walked over and sat on the sofa near the television.

"_Police were on the scene where a gang attempted to rob the Baltimore Central Bank. The police have reported that there were a number of people shot during the robbery and ensuing battle with police. Reports suggest that two of the people shot were declared dead at the scene by paramedics, and three more have suffered fatal injuries. The robbers were subdued and arrested with no more people injured..._"

Melissa sat wide eyed, looking quickly between the TV and the phone as she was now extremely worried about her husband.

_Christopher, please come home safe._

**_To Be Continued..._**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Part 6**_

Melissa was holding an umbrella over herself and Cassidy to protect them from the driving rain in the cemetery. It was Cassidy's 14th birthday and it had been six years to the day of her father's tragic death. She stared at the headstone at his grave.

**IN LOVING MEMORY**  
**CHRISTOPHER DANIEL HEMMING III**  
**1960-1991**

Christopher was at a bank in Baltimore when and armed gang came in to rob it. In the chaos and panic that ensued, the robbers had fired some shots into the crowd of people and Christopher was hit in the chest with one of the bullets. By the time it was safe for medical personnel to enter the building, Christopher had already died from his injuries. The robbers were arrested and were in jail now. But birthdays were a day of mixed emotions for Cassidy as a result of her father's death.

A couple of years after Christopher's death, Melissa had started dating a wealthy entrepreneur by the name of Phillip Foster. It had taken a while, but Melissa had finally become comfortable with accepting his marriage proposal. After some quiet contemplation, Melissa patted her daughter on the shoulder.

"Are you ready to go?"

Cassidy looked at the headstone for a moment before nodding. "Yes."

"OK. Let's go and get you fitted for your bridesmaid's dress," Melissa said as she led Cassidy away.

* * *

At the wedding reception, Cassidy was stood with Melissa and Phillip as they spoke. They were approached by the Sloane family, Angier, Kay and their children, Elsie and Thomas, who Cassidy recognised from school.

"Melissa, Phillip, hello," Angier said, "Congratulations!"

"It was a lovely ceremony," Kay said.

"Thank you," Melissa said, with a wide smile, "Everything went better than I imagined."

Cassidy smiled at Tom, who smiled back briefly. Elsie was doing her best to hide her boredom with the whole event. Cassidy turned to her mother.

"Mom, I'm going to get something to eat," Cassidy said.

"Go ahead, sweetie," Melissa replied with a smile.

Cassidy made her way over to the buffet table, picking up various bits and pieces. She reached for the last sandwich on a plate at the same time someone else reached for it. She looked over to notice a boy who looked about her own age, with short blonde hair, blue eyes and a suit.

"Oh sorry, you go ahead and take it," he said with a smile.

"Thanks," she said, picking up the sandwich and returning the smile.

"Hey, you go to Fielding, right? I'm sure I've seen you around there."

"Yes, I do. Do you have a name?" Cassidy asked.

"Oh, I'm Nathan," he said.

"I'm Cassidy," she replied.

"Hey, I hope you don't think I'm being forward, but are you busy next weekend?"

"I don't have any plans," Cassidy said, "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to do something, maybe go a movie, get something to eat?"

Cassidy smiled. "Sure, that could be fun."

"Cool," Nathan said, "Well, I'll see you in school and we'll arrange the details."

"OK," Cassidy said as Nathan walked away.

* * *

It was the Monday after Cassidy's date with Nathan. It seemed to go well. They saw an interesting dramatic movie, then went to a nearby venue for food. As she entered the lunch room at Fielding, she scanned the room and saw Nathan sitting with a couple of friends. She smiled and walked over to the table, sitting down as they were talking.

"Hi, Nathan," Cassidy said with a smile.

"Oh, uh, hi Cassidy," he replied before returning to his conversation.

Cassidy sat there for a while. She tried to pipe in to the conversation but the boys ended up talking over her. Once they'd finished their lunch, they left the table and left her to it, as she watched. Once she'd finished her lunch, she put her tray away and made her way to the bathroom. As she entered, she heard the all too familiar voice of Elaine Swinton, who was stood at one of the mirrors, checking her hair while talking to a friend.

"So, Nathan asked me out," Elaine said to her friend, not noticing Cassidy stood alongside her.

"Nathan?" Cassidy said, "Nathan Moore?"

Elaine sighed. "Yes, Cassidy, Nathan Moore."

Cassidy suddenly became upset. "But he's dating me."

"Correction, Cass, he dated you," Elaine said with a smirk, "I don't think he appreciated you being too close to him. I mean, what kind of freak hugs someone tightly after a first date? You probably freaked him out. I'm surprised he asked a titchy little psycho freak like you out in the first place."

Cassidy glared at Elaine, who turned to face her. "Better to be a psycho than an uppity bitch."

Elaine just snorted. "Is that the best you've got?"

Suddenly, Cassidy shoved Elaine and she stumbled backwards and hit the wall, slumping down slightly.

"I'll show you a damn psycho, you boyfriend stealing bitch!" Cassidy said.

Before Cassidy could do any more damage, Elaine's friend grabbed Cassidy by the arms, restraining her.

"Let go of me!" Cassidy shouted, trying to get away.

Elaine stood up and scowled at Cassidy. She then walked up and slapped her hard across the face. Her friend then let go of Cassidy's arms and pushed her to the floor.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on me again, bitch," Elaine said as she left with her friend and Cassidy sat on the floor, rubbing her stinging face.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Part 7_**

_Six year old Cassidy was sat at the kitchen counter, spooning cereal into her mouth as she listened to the radio. Today was her sixth birthday, and she was excited to see what the day held. Finishing her breakfast, she put her bowl in the sink and turned the radio off. Once she did, she heard some music coming from one of the other rooms. She stood and listened for a moment before smiling and walking through the house in the direction of the music._

_In the sitting room was her father, Christopher, stood in front of a stand with some sheet music, playing it on his flute. Cassidy smiled and sat down nearby, listening intently. Christopher had been an accomplished flute player during his time at Fielding, and Cassidy loved listening to him play. Once he finished the tune he was playing, Cassidy applauded him. He saw his daughter, smiled and bowed._

"_Thank you, thank you," he said, before putting the flute back in its case and walking over to his daughter, ruffling her hair and kissing the top of her head. "Did you like your birthday presents, honey?"_

"_Yeah, Daddy, they were great," Cassidy replied, beaming._

_At that moment, Melissa came into the room with another present. This one was a long, rectangular shape, wrapped in green paper with a blue bow on it. She walked over and handed it to Cassidy with a smile on her face._

"_One last present for you, sweetie," Melissa said, stepping away, "Go on, open it."_

_Cassidy grinned and tore open the paper. Inside was a long, black, rectangular box with a clasp on it. She opened the clasp and looked inside and gasped at what she saw._

"_You got me my own flute?" she said, looking between her parents._

"_That's right, honey," Christopher replied, "And I'm going to teach you how to play it. What do you say?"_

_Cassidy put the box down on the seat and got up, hugging both her parents._

"_Thank you, thank you, thank you!"_

* * *

Fifteen year old Cassidy came home from school and walked up to her bedroom. She dropped her book bag on her bed and went into her closet. Changing out of her uniform into a pair of black pants and a red sweater, she noticed an old box on the floor, under her clothes. She pulled it out and opened it up. The box contained several things she'd been allowed to keep that belonged to her father. Mostly old photographs, but there was one item she was looking for. Right at the bottom of the box was a long, red, rectangular case. She opened it to reveal her late father's flute inside. She ran her hand along it and stared at it for a moment before closing the case and returning the box to the closet.

Cassidy then walked over to her dresser and opened the bottom drawer. Contained within was a similar black case which contained her own flute. She opened it and took the flute out. She then sat on her bed and started playing. She wasn't as good as her father, but she still enjoyed playing. She was interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Come in," she said.

Her stepfather, Phillip Foster, opened the door and poked his head around. "Hi, Cassidy. Listen, could you do me a favour? Your mother's sick and is trying to get some sleep. Could you perhaps just keep it quiet in here?"

Cassidy sighed. "OK," she said, putting her flute back in its case.

"Thanks, sweetheart," Phillip said with a weary smile before closing the door.

Cassidy put the box back into the dresser and returned to the closet, picking out what looked like a large book from one of the shelves. She turned it on its side to reveal a combination lock. Opening the lock, she retrieved her diary from within and set it on her desk. She opened it to that days date, picked up a pen and started writing.

_Seven years. I can't believe it's been over seven years since Daddy died. I still miss him every day. The day I found out he died was the worst day of my life. I really wish you could come back. I miss going into the sitting room and listening to him play his flute. I still have the flute, and I'll never let it go._

_Why does everyone I care about leave my life? Friends abandon me, boys never date me more than once. I hate being alone. I just want someone to like me. Is that such a bad thing? Is that too much to ask? Phillip tries, but it's just not the same. And Mother is too wrapped up in her art duties to pay much attention. I wish she'd spend more time with me._

Cassidy took a deep breath and wiped a tear away before continuing.

_I have hope. I was asked out on a date this weekend. Brandon is his name. He's cute and kind of funny. If things go well, maybe he'll come with me to the Winged Tree Country Club next week for the benefit the Maryland Art Society is putting on. In any case, I'm going to be taking lots of photos. It should be fun._

Cassidy paused for a moment, and then finished off.

_Daddy, I love you and I miss you more than you will ever know._

With that, she closed her diary and put it back in the closet. She looked at the box on the floor one more time and then grabbed her book bag to make a start on her homework.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Part 8**_

Cassidy was out with her current date, Brandon. It had been a somewhat interesting day for her. The art house movie they'd gone to see had been a bit over pretentious for her liking. They'd been shopping at Mason Avenue, with all its upper class boutiques, and she'd bought a couple of dresses there, specifically looking for something for the Maryland Arts Society ball she would be attending with her mother the following week. They were now at Alberto's, a small Italian place at the end of the street. They were chatting idly until their meals were brought to them. Cassidy went for some chicken Alfredo, while Brandon went with spaghetti alla puttanesca.

"It's been quite a day," Cassidy said, as she twirled some of the pasta on to her fork.

"Yeah, sorry the movie was a bust," Brandon replied, tucking into his own food.

"It's not the movie that's important, it's the company," Cassidy said, smiling at him.

Throughout the whole meal, Cassidy rarely took her eyes off Brandon, which made him feel a little strange. Once they'd both finished eating, Cassidy leaned back and finished off her bottle of water.

"Not bad. The chicken was a little on the dry side, but it was flavoured well," Cassidy said.

"Mine was good. Right amount of sauce, well cooked. I like this place," Brandon replied.

Once the bill was paid, the two of them made their way to where Cassidy was expecting her mother to collect her.

"I had a really good time today," Cassidy said, looking at Brandon with a smile.

"Yes, it was interesting," Brandon replied.

The pair arrived at their destination, but her mother hadn't arrived yet. Cassidy put her bags down on the floor to give her arms a rest. Then, she suddenly turned and gave Brandon a tight hug.

"Thanks so much for today, you've been great," she said.

"Erm... thanks," Brandon said, tentatively returning the hug.

Cassidy released him just before she noticed her mother approaching in the car. "Hey, are you going to come to the arts ball with me next weekend? I could do with some interesting company."

Brandon looked at his watch. "I'll try. I let you know. Goodbye Cassidy," he said as he left.

"Bye!" Cassidy replied, as she watched him leave with a smile on her face.

* * *

The following weekend, Cassidy was stood in front of the mirror on the back of her closet door as she was getting ready for the Maryland Arts Society ball that was being held at the Winged Tree Country Club. She adjusted her long, flowing yellow dress and moved her glasses slightly until she was happy. Her concentration on her dress was interrupted by her phone ringing.

"Hello?" she said, answering.

"Hi, Cassidy. It's me, Brandon," came the voice on the other end.

"Brandon! I've been trying to get hold of you," she replied.

"I know, I got your messages. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be able to make it tonight. We got a surprise visit from some family so I have to stay."

"Oh," Cassidy said, some disappointment in her voice, "Well, it can't be helped. I'll see you in school on Monday then, I guess."

"Yeah, sure. Goodbye!" Brandon said before hanging up the phone.

Cassidy stood in thought for a moment, and then shook her head. She took her phone over to her bag and put inside. She checked that she had a camera and spare roll of film in the bag and closed it up.

"Cassidy, honey, are you ready to go?" Melissa shouted from downstairs.

"Coming, mother," Cassidy replied as she left her room.

* * *

The Winged Tree Country Club was packed this evening, with most of the elite in the Maryland art world present. Cassidy moved quickly around the floor, snapping photographs of people looking at the art, posing with artists and general crowd photographs. As she looked around, she noticed a young woman with long, black hair and a long sleeved black dress, looking like she was in search of something particular. Deciding to be helpful, Cassidy walked over to the young woman as she whistled sharply at one of the paintings.

"There's some really good stuff in here," the woman said.

"Yeah, there's some really interesting artists around Maryland," Cassidy replied.

The woman spun around and looked at Cassidy, who smiled at her.

"So, are you an artist or a collector?" Cassidy asked.

"Oh, an artist," the raven haired woman replied, "I'm actually trying to find my artwork, as a matter of fact."

"Oh, I can help you with that," Cassidy said with a smile, "My mother is on the board of the Maryland Arts Society, so I know where all the artists' works are displayed. What's your name?"

"Bradfield. Alison Bradfield."

"Licence to kill?" Cassidy replied, allowing herself a small smirk at the reference, "My name's Cassidy. OK, follow me, please."

Cassidy led Alison through the crowd to another part of the gallery where her pictures were on display.

"Here we are," Cassidy said, continuing as Alison looked at the display approvingly, "Pastels. I've heard the directors say they don't see much in that style."

"Is that a good thing?" Alison asked.

Cassidy tilted her head to the side slightly. "Hard to say, really. I've heard a couple of the directors are really stuck in their ways and prefer the classic styles. But the board are trying to modernise, so I believe."

Alison stood in thought for a moment. "Hey, didn't you say your Mom is one of the directors?"

"Oh yes. There's five of them altogether, and they vote on things like where these balls happen, and who gets in," Cassidy explained, "You must have impressed some of them to get in."

"Well, possibly. My stepdad is friends with one of the directors. Giovanni, I think his name is."

Cassidy chuckled. "Giovanni Badoer. He's quite funny. When he sees something he likes, he wants to tell everyone about it. When he's impressed, you'll know it."

"Hey, is there any chance you can point the directors out to me?" Alison asked.

Cassidy looked at her watch. "Well, I've got some things to do right now, but if you find me later, I'll try to help you out."

"Thanks!" Alison said as Cassidy walked off.

* * *

Cassidy was finishing off the first film she had in her camera. She was staring at one of the pieces of art on display when she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey, Cassidy."

Cassidy turned around and was greeted by the sight of Tom Sloane and his sister, Elsie. He was looking striking in a suit and his dark hair, whilst Elsie was stood in a long, pale green dress. Who let these butterflies loose in my stomach?

"Oh hello, Thomas, Elsie," Cassidy replied, smiling. Tom smiled back, whereas Elsie grunted, looking like she clearly wanted to be anyone else but here.

"Oh, don't mind my sister, she just likes to pretend she's fed up of stuff like this. She loves it really," Tom explained with a wry smile.

Cassidy chuckled. "Too cool for this, huh Elsie?"

Elsie didn't reply, instead glaring at Tom and Cassidy before walking off.

"I knew that would get her," Tom said, "So, Cassidy, is Brandon around? I was hoping to catch him."

"Oh no," Cassidy replied sadly, "He couldn't make it. Sudden family visit."

"That's a shame," Tom said, "Well, it's been nice to see you again, but I'd better go and find my sister before she does some real damage. Bye!"

"Goodbye Thomas," Cassidy replied with a smile as she watched Tom leave.

* * *

Cassidy checked her camera and noticed she was out of film. She reached into her bag and got a new roll of film out, changing it for the used one. Her mother, Melissa, walked up to her.

"Cassidy, I'm just heading for a discussion with the board. Will you be OK around here for an hour?"

"Oh yes, mother, I'll be fine. I've got plenty more pictures to take, and I'll probably step out for a moment later to get some outside shots," Cassidy replied.

When Melissa left, Cassidy made her way to the front of the club to look at some of the paintings she hadn't had a chance to look at earlier. When she got there, she noticed Alison heading out of the front door with a glass of wine in her hand. This could be interesting, Cassidy thought to herself as she carefully followed. Eventually, Alison arrived at the parking lot out of the back of the club. Cassidy watched carefully, making sure Alison didn't see her. She faintly heard Alison say "To my 10-year old art skills!" and hold her glass high in the air, before dropping it, causing it to shatter on the ground. Alison then picked up a shard of glass and make her way towards one of the cars, a clear purpose in mind. Cassidy noticed that the car in question belong to Conrad Lanser, chairman of the Maryland Art Society. Alison stabbed one of the tires with the shard of glass. Cassidy quickly got her camera out and started taking photos as Alison continued to vandalise the car. Alison eventually stopped, threw the shard away and took a step back to admire her handiwork. Cassidy decided to make her presence known.

"That's an interesting new art medium."

Alison spun round and saw Cassidy, a look of concern flashing across her face.

"Do you have a name for that piece?" Cassidy asked.

"H... How long have you been stood there?" Alison asked.

"Oh, only a couple of minutes or so. I saw you leave the club, and decided to see where you were going," Cassidy explained.

Alison's eyes suddenly turned to the camera Cassidy was holding.

"Oh God. You weren't taking pictures were you?" she asked.

"Of course," Cassidy replied with a smile, "I've always wanted to watch an artist at work and get some pictures of their progress."

"Cassidy, you can't let anyone see those pictures. If it gets out that I did this, my name is dirt in the art scene!"

Cassidy frowned and tilted her head slightly. "Well why did you do it?"

Alison sighed. "I was drinking. I was angry. He insulted my work. I wasn't thinking straight. Please, you need to destroy that film!"

Cassidy toyed with the camera in her hand. "I could do that, but it contains evidence of a criminal act, Alison. What's in it for me if I destroy it?"

"What do you want me to do?" Alison blurted out before she could even think.

Cassidy pondered it for a second before pulling a piece of paper and a pen out her bag. She leaned on one of the nearby cars and wrote something down, before handing it to Alison.

"What's this?" Alison asked, staring at the paper.

"It's my phone number and an instruction to phone me tomorrow so I can get your phone number, because you're clearly in no state to give me your number right now. I'm going to keep this film hidden for now, but you owe me big," Cassidy explained, "When I decide what I need from you, I'll phone you and let you know. If you do what I ask, I'll give you the evidence and you can do what you want with it. Do we have a deal?"

"Yeah. Yeah," Alison replied with a sigh.

Cassidy grinned. "Excellent! Now, we need to get you home. There's no way you're driving home like that, so I'll get my mother to give you a lift."

"Thanks," Alison grumbled as Cassidy led her out of the parking lot.

To Be Continued...


	9. Chapter 9

_**Part 9**_

Cassidy walked out of her classroom and made her way to the lockers. She had mixed feelings about the previous weekend. She was disappointed that Brandon hadn't been able to go to the ball with her, but was happy with the pictures and the favour she now had to call in, should she need it. She reached her locker and went to swap some books out. As she closed her locker, she heard a familiar voice around the corner and stopped to listen.

"It was a quiet evening, actually," the voice said, Cassidy immediately recognising it as Brandon.

"Weren't you supposed to be going out with that Cassidy girl?" another male voice asked.

"She's weird, man. She kept leaving messages on my phone asking if I was going. I had to tell her that we had a surprise visit from family and couldn't go."

"Maybe she's just enthusiastic?"

"She hugged me tightly after our first date. She kept staring at me during lunch. She's way too clingy. I don't need that right now."

"There must be something you like about her, Brandon."

"Well, she's cute. Really cute. I like her glasses as well, I think they add to it. And her legs in that dress? Damn!"

"Yeah, I have noticed that. She does have nice legs."

_Guys like my legs?_

Cassidy pondered that for a while before turning to walk away, and in doing so, she almost walked into someone, but managed to just stop herself in time.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry," she said.

"Please, no need to be so formal. 'Pope' will suffice."

Cassidy looked up and noticed it was Tom she'd nearly walked into.

"Oh hello, Tom. Sorry about that, I wasn't paying attention."

"That's OK, Cassidy. I'm glad I bumped into you actually. Or nearly did, at least."

Cassidy smiled and shook her head. "That was awful."

"Sorry, couldn't resist," Tom replied with a smirk, "But seriously, I was hoping to find you today."

"Oh?" Cassidy said, her interest piqued.

"Are you still dating Brandon?" he asked.

"Oh, no. We're not going out anymore," Cassidy answered sadly, forcing herself to smile.

"Well, in that case, I was wondering if you were free to go out somewhere this weekend, maybe catch a movie or something?"

Cassidy's smile was genuine now. She'd secretly hoped that Tom would ask her out for a while now, and thoughts of Brandon were suddenly pushed to the back of her mind.

"Yes, that sounds like a great idea!" she replied.

"Great. Listen, I've got to head to class, but I'll catch you later. I'll give you my number and we can organise something. Bye!" he said as he walked off.

Cassidy watched him leave and let out a small sigh of contentment as she made her way to her next class.

* * *

Cassidy walked into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. She walked over to her bed and tossed her book bag onto it before going into the closet and getting changed out of her uniform, and into a red and white checked dress that ran to just above her knees. Taking her glasses off, she cleaned them and replaced before looking at herself in the mirror on the back of her closet door. She tugged down on the hem slightly and stared at her reflection for a moment before pulling the hem of the dress up a little, looking at her reflection again and letting the dress fall back into place. She then took a few of her other dresses and measured them against herself in the mirror. Frowning slightly, she put the dresses back and retrieved her diary from the shelf above.

Upon closing her closet door, Cassidy dropped her diary on her desk and walked over to her CD player. She took the CD out that was currently in it and replaced it with another. Skipping to the track she wanted, she stood back as the opening bars of Moonlight Sonata started playing. She gently hummed along to it as she went and sat at her desk. She'd recently found the tune somewhat soothing when she wrote. Picking up a pen, she opened the diary to the next blank page and started writing.

_The art show went pretty well at the weekend. I managed to get some really good photographs, and the people I talked to there were pleasant enough. I talked a lot to a woman called Alison. She's interesting, and I think we will meet again before too long._

She smirked a little at that last line before continuing.

_Brandon told me he couldn't go, but he just didn't want to go with me. I'm 'too clingy', apparently. I'm just trying to show I care. There's nothing wrong with that, is there? Still, that's not important now. What IS important is that I'm going out on a date with Thomas Sloane this weekend. But when he asked me out, I felt different compared to when other boys ask me out. There's something about him. He's cute and he seems sweet. He's always been a gentleman when I've seen him at social events._

She glanced at her closet and tapped the end of her pen against her lips before writing some more.

_I also found out that guys seem to like my legs. I think I need something different for my wardrobe. Something that shows off my legs a little more. They say "If you've got it, flaunt it."_

With that, she sighed and closed her diary.

* * *

Cassidy and her mother, Melissa, were in Acute, a clothes boutique in Baltimore, looking for some new outfits. After spending some time looking around, Cassidy picked up a few dresses from various racks. She went to the changing rooms to try them on. The first was a red dress with a sash, but it looked a little too formal for what she wanted it for, and she had no shortage of formal dresses. Next up was a pink coloured dress with translucent shoulder straps. She pushed the dress down as she looked at it. _This has potential_, she thought.

After a couple more tries, she looked at the last dress. It had yellow and white stripes and actual shoulders. Pleased with the look of it, she slipped into it and went to pull the bottom of the dress down, but noticed that it didn't go far. She looked at the back of the dress in the mirror and noticed it was shorter than any other dress she owned. It wasn't too short, though, just enough to show a good amount of leg. _I love it, and he'll love it too._

With that, Cassidy exited the changing room and went to where Melissa was sat outside. She looked up from the book she was reading and Cassidy did a twirl to show off the dress.

"That looks nice, sweetie. But isn't it a little on the short side?" Melissa asked, a slight look of concern on her face.

"It's long enough," Cassidy replied with a smile, "And I love the design."

"You're showing off a lot of leg, though. Is that really the sort of thing you want to wear? It could send bad signals to any boys around."

"I'm going out with Thomas," Cassidy said, frowning slightly with her hands on her hips, "No-one will try anything with him around. And he's always been a gentleman when I've spoken to him."

Melissa saw the look in her daughter's eyes and softened. "Well, it is a nice dress. OK, get changed and we'll get that one."

"Thanks Mom," Cassidy said with a grin as she went back to the changing rooms.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Part 10**_

It was a sunny day, and Cassidy had decided to have her lunch outside. She placed her bowl of minestrone soup on one of the tables outside the main lunch room of Fielding and looked out at the trees that surrounded the school. She took her spoon and started to eat her soup. However, she was interrupted by an unwelcome voice from nearby.

"Hey, Hemming!"

Cassidy looked up and saw the slim figure of Elaine Swinton approach the table. She sat down opposite Cassidy and flicked her long, black hair over her shoulder, looking at the redhead with barely disguised contempt.

"Who do you think you are, crowding in on my territory?" Elaine asked.

Cassidy looked at Elaine, eyebrow raised. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, Hemming. You know I've had my eye on Thomas for months. You've got a real nerve, waltzing in and taking him from me."

"I had no idea you had an interest in Tom. Not that I care," Cassidy said, eating another spoonful of her soup, "Besides, I didn't waltz in and take anyone from you. Tom asked me out and I said yes."

Elaine folded her arms and chuckled. "I don't suppose it matters, anyway. It's not like you and him are going to last."

Cassidy glared at Elaine, who smirked at seeing her expression.

"You stay away from him. He's going out with me," Cassidy said.

Elaine's smirk grew wider. "I don't have to do anything, Cassidy. You'll screw it up yourself," she said, as she looked at her red painted nails, "You'll have a good time, overdo it and scare him off. Then I'll just take him."

Cassidy continued to glare. "Even if things don't work between me and him, he isn't going to go for you. He's got better taste than to go for a snotty cow like you, so just give it up."

Now it was Elaine's turn to glare. Then, she looked down a little and smirked again. Cassidy, catching her gaze, quickly grabbed a tight hold on her soup bowl.

"Don't even think about it, bitch. You aren't giving _me_ a minestrone shower."

Elaine looked Cassidy in the face, then just snorted again and got up from the table, Cassidy keeping a hold on her bowl as she watched the brunette walk away.

* * *

Cassidy sat on her bed, wiping her flute down as she had 'Water Music' playing on her music centre. She was wearing her new yellow and white striped dress in anticipation for the evening's activities. She put her flute back in its case, and put it back in the bottom drawer of her dresser. She hummed to the music until she heard a knock at the front door. She turned off her music and took a quick look at herself in the mirror on her closet door. Satisfied, she closed the closet and picked her bag up off the desk. As she was home alone, she quickly made her way downstairs to open the door and smiled at the boy stood waiting for her, dressed in a dark blue sweater and white pants, his brown hair moving in the slight evening breeze.

"Hello, Tom," she said.

"Hi, Cassidy," her replied, motioning down the driveway, "Ready to go?"

"Sure," she said, stepping out and closing the door behind her.

They made their way down the driveway and through the front gates. She followed him as he stopped by a rusty, broken looking blue Pinto.

"Well, this is my chariot," Tom said, motioning to it.

Cassidy tilted her head slightly, a bemused look on her face. "This is seriously your car?"

"Yeah. Everyone else has all these high class cars. I decided I want something different," Tom said as he opened the driver door.

"It's certainly different, Tom," Cassidy replied as she walked in to get in the passenger side.

The both sat in the car and fastened their belts before Tom started the car.

"So, how about a bit of the Bard tonight?" Tom asked.

"Sounds good to me," Cassidy replied with a smile.

* * *

Later that evening, Tom and Cassidy were sat in a little Italian restaurant. Tom was eating some pizza, while Cassidy was enjoying her tortellini. Tom was telling a story about his grandfather from when he attended Bromwell.

"So, according to him, that's the reason there's a sign at the ice rink that says 'Clothes Required'."

"That's so funny!" Cassidy said, as she started laughing, causing Tom to look at her slightly oddly, unnoticed by her.

The two of them continued to eat before Tom spoke again. "So, what did you think of Romeo and Juliet?"

"Interesting, but kind of odd, seeing them all in a modern setting while speaking in Shakespearean English."

Tom chuckled. "Yeah, the guns do take you out of it a little bit, but it was fun."

"It's very different from seeing a stage play, that's for sure," Cassidy said, "I'm glad I watched it."

"Me too," Tom said, before finishing off his pizza, "Well, it's getting a bit late. We should be heading home, I think."

Cassidy looked at her watch as she swallowed the last bit of tortellini and started to stand up. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Tom drove Cassidy back to her home. The ride was mostly filled with a bit of small talk, until Cassidy asked a question that surprised Tom.

"So, what do you think of Elaine Swinton?"

Tom frowned slightly. "She's attractive, but she strikes me as someone who's a little full of herself. I considered asking her out once, but she'd probably be too high maintenance and get on my nerves quickly."

"Yeah, probably," Cassidy said, trying hard not to smirk.

"She'd probably run a mile if she saw this old rust bucket, anyway. She'd expect me to turn up in the newest Mercedes or something" Tom said, looking from side to side before pulling out of a junction.

"It's charming in its way," Cassidy remarked, "Kind of reminds me of a car my Dad owned. It was a slightly beat up Nouveau Riche."

"Really?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, he called it his 'weekend car'," Cassidy explained, chuckling slightly at the memory, "I liked it, but mother absolutely hated it. She kept asking him to just use the Mercedes."

They reached Cassidy's house and Tom pulled up.

"Well, home sweet home," Tom said.

Cassidy looked at Tom, a big smile on her face. "Thanks for tonight, Tom. I really enjoyed it."

"Yeah. Yeah, I had a nice time too," Tom replied.

Cassidy paused for a second before carefully reaching over and hugging Tom lightly with one arm, causing him to give her a curious look. She then opened the door and stepped out of the car.

"Goodnight, Tom!" she said.

"Goodnight, Cassidy," he replied with a slight smile as she closed the door and made her way to the sidewalk. She waved as he pulled away and sighed with contentment before making her way into the house.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N:** Contains lyrics from 'Truly Madly Deeply' by Savage Garden_

* * *

_**Part 11**_

The following Monday, Cassidy was feeling great as she walked the corridors of Fielding. She felt her date with Tom had gone really well, and she was looking forward to seeing him again. As she went to turn a corner, she stopped as she saw Tom and his best friend, Ashley Winters, stood by Tom's locker talking. She quickly ducked back around the corner to listen.

"I'm still wondering why you're waiting until lunch to tell me about your grand master plan, Sloane," Ashley said.

"You know me. I like to build up suspense," Tom replied.

"Yeah, you're a regular drama queen," Ashley said with a chuckle, "Change of subject, anything else you want to tell me about your date this weekend?"

Cassidy tensed slightly and listened more closely.

"It went OK. She laughed a bit too much at my jokes, but she was decent company. Not as creepy as people would have you believe."

"Hmm. So, are you going to go out with her again?"

"I don't know," Tom replied, "I think I could hang out with her again. She's intriguing."

Cassidy was slightly confused. _Hang out?_

"If you say so," Ashley said.

"We'll see," Tom said, before banging on his locker "Dammit, 25 left, 17 right, 32 left. I've had this locker for years. Why won't it open?"

"Let me see," Ashley said, before trying to combination himself and managing to open the locker, "There you go."

"Thanks," Tom said as he retrieved his books.

"Well, if I'm going to get to my class, I should mosey on over there now. Later, Sloane."

Cassidy quickly made her way over to a nearby chair and sat down, so it didn't look like she'd been listening. Then, a thought came to her head and she pulled a notebook out of her book bag, quickly jotting something down before putting it back in her bag. She looked back up just in time to see Tom walking down the corridor.

"Hi," he said to her with a smile.

"Hey," she replied with a smile of her own as she watched him walk past.

* * *

Leaving her final class before lunch, Cassidy made her way to her locker to swap her books around for the afternoon. She got to her locker to find a trio of girls with gold bracelets stood nearby talking, with one of them, a girl from her year with long blonde hair, leaning directly on her locker.

"Excuse me," Cassidy said to the blonde, motioning to the locker, "You're on my locker."

The girl gave her a dirty look before leaving with her friends. Cassidy watched them leave and swapped her books out. As she closed her locker, she saw Elaine Swinton stood there with a smirk on her face.

"So, Hemming, you went on your date with Thomas, did you?"

"Yes," Cassidy replied.

"And how badly did you screw up this time?"

Cassidy said nothing, and just smirked at Elaine before making her way to the lunch room. Upon entering, she quickly scanned the room before seeing the person she was looking for. She took a deep breath. _Just stay cool, Cassidy. It'll be OK. _She walked towards one of the tables where Tom and Ashley were sat, put her bag on the table and sat next to Tom, not noticing that she nearly knocked Ashley's lunch off the table in the process.

"Hello Thomas," she said, producing her sweetest smile "I had a good time last Saturday."

"Yes," Tom replied cautiously, "It was an interesting evening."

"I just came over to see if you were busy on Friday night. I thought we could hang out, go bowling and maybe get something to eat?"

"Um. yeah. Yeah, I'm not doing anything." Tom replied, "That could be fun."

"Great!" Cassidy said, getting up from the table with a grin on her face, "I'll see you then!"

It was Friday night, and Tom was giving Cassidy a ride home after their night out. Tom was concentrating on driving, while Cassidy was silently looking out of the window. It had all started so well. They'd gone bowling, and then gone out to a nearby Chinese place to grab a bite to eat. However, things seemed to go south when Cassidy, on impulse, leaned over the table to try and kiss Tom, and he quickly backed away.

_"Cassidy, don't!"_

_"What's wrong? I thought we were having a good time."_

_"Yes, hanging out as friends. "That was what you wanted, wasn't it?"_

_"I guess. But I really like you, Tom. I was hoping that we could be something more."_

_"I do like you Cassidy, but as a friend. A really good friend who I enjoy spending time with."_

Cassidy was snapped out of her thoughts by the car coming to a stop.

"We're here," Tom said.

Cassidy looked over at Tom for a second. She studied his face, but couldn't tell anything from his neutral expression.

"Look, Tom, I just wanted to say..."

She paused and took a deep breath. _Don't make another mistake._

"Thanks, Tom. I had a nice evening."

"Yeah," was his only reply as she opened the car door and got out. "Good night."

"Good night," Tom replied before Cassidy shut the door and Tom quickly pulled away.

Cassidy sighed and looked towards her house. She quickly walked up the driveway and pulled her keys out of her pocket to open the front door. She looked back to the road again before going inside.

"It's just me, I'm home," she shouted to the house before heading for the stairs.

"Hello, sweetie. Did you have a nice time?" her mother Melissa replied from the lounge.

"Yeah, it was fine," Cassidy replied as she quickly went up to her room.

She closed her bedroom door and walked over to her music centre, switching the radio on and flopping onto her bed as the music kicked in from the local radio station.

_Oh can you see it baby?_  
_You don't have to close your eyes_  
_'Cause it's standing right before you_  
_All that you need will surely come_

She sighed and rolled off the bed and switched the music centre to the CD, which started playing some Beethoven. She lay back down on the bed to think about things.

_Why did he back out? He said he wants to be friends, but I know he likes me. I can see it in his face. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to kiss him. But it felt so right. He's probably just nervous, just wants to take things slowly. That's OK. I can be patient._

With that, she swung her legs off the bed and sat on the edge of it. Looking over at her desk and standing up.

_I need to do something for him. Show him how much I really care. But what?_

She walked over to her desk and sat down at it. Seeing her notebook lying there, she picked it up and idly flicked through it. As she did, her eye was caught by something on one of the pages that she'd written down a couple of days earlier. A wide smile came across her face as she read it.

_Of course._

* * *

A couple of weeks later, Cassidy sat nervously in her History class, the final class of the day, as her teacher Mr Judge was handing out their most recent assignments. He reached her desk and handed her paper over.

"A good improvement, Ms. Hemming. Keep it up," he said as he continued giving papers out. She looked down at the A- on her paper and smiled.

The bell rang out to signal the end of class. The students quickly picked up their bags and left the room, with Cassidy hanging back a little. She then made her way to the nearest bathroom and waited at the mirror for a while, before washing her hands and leaving. Checking the coast was clear, she made her way down the corridors until she reached her intended destination.

_There's his locker. 314._

Checking once again that no-one was around, Cassidy reached into the side pocket of her bag and pulled out an envelope and a piece of paper. Reading the paper, she turned the dial on the locker and successfully opened the door. Inside, she saw a photo of Tom and his family taped to the door. With a smile, she placed the envelope in the locker, which contained a gift card for 'Books By The Ton'. She then closed the locker again and made sure it was locked, before turning away from the door and walking away with a smile on her face.

_I hope he likes it._

**_THE END_**


	12. BONUS CHAPTER: Not Coming Home

_**A/N:** The following is a bonus chapter, written to further explain an element in the story that I kind of glossed over._

* * *

**BONUS CHAPTER: Not Coming Home**

Christopher Hemming III left the offices of 'Davidson, Fisher, Carter & Hemming' and got into his black Mercedes. He started the car and picked up his car phone, dialling a number. After a few rings a female voice answered.

"_Hello, Grace, Sloane and Page. Anita speaking, how may I help you?"_

"Hello, Anita. This is Christopher Hemming. Is Angier available?"

"_Hang on, I'll just check,"_ Anita replied putting him on hold. After a couple of minutes, she came back on. _"Putting you through now."_

"Thanks."

After a moment, Angier's voice came through. "Hello. Angier Sloane."

"Hello, Angier. How are you?"

"_Christopher! I'm very well. How is the birthday girl?"_

"She's very excited. We're taking her out tonight for a meal."

"_Wonderful. Wish her a happy birthday from us."_

"I'll do that. Anyway, the reason I'm calling is I was checking if we're still on for a round at St Brendas this weekend."

"_Absolutely. I've got a new driver, and I'm itching to give it a shot."_

"Excellent. I look forward to it. Well, I need to get going. Got to get to the bank before it closes."

"_Very well. See you then, Christopher."_

"Goodbye," Christopher said, hanging up the phone before making his way out of the parking lot.

* * *

Baltimore Central Bank was a tall, white, ornate looking building with a big arch over the entrance and tall pillars connecting it to the roof. Christopher entered the bank and joined the queue at the counters, as a few people joined behind him. He looked at his watch and smiled.

_Should have plenty of time to sort this out before I get home_, he thought.

His thought were suddenly interrupted by the sound of gunfire behind him and panicked screaming. He turned to see a gang of men in balaclavas, all holding guns and pointing them in the air. The apparent leader of the group was holding a shotgun.

"This is a robbery!" he shouted, "Now, everyone stay calm and stand real still. Make this easy for us and no-one will get hurt."

The gang made their way to the counters as the customers talked among themselves. Suddenly, a tall, red haired man in the line decided to try and make a run for it. One of the gang turned to notice and fired at him, hitting him in the head and causing him to fall to the floor dead.

"I thought we told you to stay still," he said.

The shot was enough to send everyone into a panic, as the customers suddenly started running off in all directions.

"WE SAID STAY STILL!" the leader shouted.

With that, the gang turned and opened fire on the panicking crowd. Several of them got hit by bullets and went down. Christopher decided to try and go for a nearby desk, but before he could make it, he felt a sudden piercing pain in his chest and he went down. He clutched his chest, looking at his hand and seeing it covered in blood. He tried to get behind the desk to avoid another bullet, but the pain was too much. He could hear the people screaming and bullets firing as he lay there, coughing and spluttering. As everything started to go black, the last thing he heard was the sound of sirens outside the bank and a police officer talking on a megaphone.

"THIS IS THE POLICE. WE HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED. COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP..."

* * *

Cassidy was sat in her bedroom, writing away with a fountain pen her Aunt Gemima had given her for her birthday. She hummed along as Water Music was playing on a classical station on the radio. She'd been sent upstairs by her mother. Melissa, after two police officers had turned up at the house. Cassidy could hear some sounds from downstairs, but she couldn't really make anything out, so just concentrated on writing poetry as practice for her English class. After a while, she heard the front door of the house close, and everything went quiet downstairs.

About half an hour later, Cassidy heard the sound of her mother coming up the stairs. After a brief moment, she knocked on the door and entered the room. Cassidy turned to look at her mother, who sniffed slightly and tried to smile, but her red eyes told another story.

"I'm sorry, Cassidy, but we won't be able to go out tonight," Melissa quietly said.

"Is Daddy not coming home?" Cassidy asked.

Melissa took a breath and steadied herself before replying. "I'm afraid Daddy won't be coming home tonight. He's gone away and he won't be back for a long time."

Cassidy had a horrible feeling of dread come over her. She took off her glasses and placed them on the desk and looked straight at her mother. "Is... Daddy dead?"

Melissa went wide eyed as she looked at her daughter, whose looked like her eyes were welling up. Melissa was trying to keep Cassidy from getting hurt, but she was a smart girl, and she could obviously tell something was wrong. Melissa quickly walked over to Cassidy and hugged her, as Cassidy buried her head in her mother's shoulder and started to cry. Melissa was trying to be strong for Cassidy, holding back more tears of her own as she sniffed.

"I... I'm sorry, honey."

**THE END**


End file.
